A native of Ile-Ife, Osun State , Nigeria, Bunmi Babatunde was born on March 1st, 1957. 

His talent became noticeable while in Primary Five. A photographer took a poor shot of a portrait, which Bunmi’s stepmother angrily threw away. The right arm of the character was totally removed from the picture despite the white wide margin around the borders. Bunmi picked up the picture and added the lost arm in a sketch to the excitement of all. He studied in the Yaba College of Technology where he bagged the National Diploma in General Art and Higher National Diploma in Sculpture in 1981 and 1983 respectively. 

Immediately after his youth service at the Department of Culture, National Theatre in 1983, he assumed full-time professional practice at the then National Studios of the National Gallery of Art, National Theatre, and he has remained in active studio practice for 40 years now. 

In 2003, he was one of 65 leaders selected from 35 developing countries all over the world for Advanced Leadership Training Course of the Haggai Institute in Singapore. Having participated in well over 40 exhibitions auctions at home and abroad, Babatunde has produced works for both public and private consumption. One of his out-door sculptures is the 20-foot Eleganza ‘Biro Statue’ along Orile/Mile 2 expressway, Suru, Alaba, Lagos; A 36-foot long, 35-foot high Bronze Sculpture titled “POSSIBILITIES” at the Gani Fawehinmi

Babatunde’s professional stature received a boost when he was invited by the Nanjing Normal University, China as a guest lecturer in December 2007. He was invited as a specialist to teach sculpture major students.